SACRAMENTO, Calif. –Mangal Gill, 58, who had previously plead guilty to accusations of conspiring to commit bribery and identity fraud, was sentenced this weekend to four years and three months in California state prision by the U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell, Jr.
On Novermber 2, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced that the owner of Central Truck Driving School is being apprehended under charges of conspiracy to pay off government officials and fraud. Gill was accused of paying off the Department of Motor Vehicles in order to fraudulently present his unfit students with illegal commercial driver’s licenses.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gill admitted to taking money from the students, and using it to pay off the employees of the DMV. In turn, the DMV employees would alter their database in order to change the status of the exam to say that the student had passed.
In most cases, the students either failed to pass the exam, or did not even take the driving or written portions of the exam at all.
These drivers were able to operate tractor-trailer trucks and passenger buses, without having taken and passed the requisite written or behind-the-wheel driving tests.
Given that the students who obtained these false licenses are unqualified to operate a commercial vehicle,  U.S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell, Jr. declared the criminal activity to be a hazard to the public.
Several of the DMV employees had previously plead guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and identity fraud.
Those included were co-defendant Andrew Kimura, who was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison.
Co-defendants Robert Turchin, and Pavittar Dosangh- they will both be sentenced on Nov. 9.
Emma Klem, another DMV employee, and Kulwinder Dosanjh Singh, a broker, also previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and identity fraud as part of the same investigation. Both are scheduled for sentencing on November 16.
They face a maximum statutory penalty of five to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.